2015 is a great year for music documentaries, but while the
dramatic front might lack the same range of films about musical subjects, one
film alone matches the docs in strength. That film, of course, is the fiery and
intense Straight Outta Compton, which
dramatizes the rise of the NWA. One doesn’t need to know the beats to
appreciate this solid portrait of the LA streets. Director F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen) creates a city of
brewing pot of rage and violence that
needs an outlet other than guns, and the rappers of the NWA meet the challenge.
Straight Outta Compton tells of
friends Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy E
(Jason Mitchell), among others, who channel their passion and rage into rhythm
and poetry. Strong performances by the ensemble make the film accessible and
compelling, while the script never hinges on fandom, for Straight Outta Compton makes the story of the NWA thorough and
relevant. As the film rises with the controversy of “Fuck tha Police,” Straight Outta Compton builds a potently
relevant tale about a fight that remains ongoing.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)

Straight Outta Compton is playing in select theatres.

Ballet 422

(USA, 74 min.)

Dir. Jody Lee Lipes

If the anthemic beats of “Fuck tha Police” leave one
wondering what to watch with granny whilst perusing the screener pile, Ballet 422 might be the safer and
mellower option. This classically composed observational documentary offers a
few pliés and memorable numbers of its own as it follows young ballerino Justin
Peck as he faces the daunting task of creating and choreographing the New York
City Ballet’s 422nd ballet. This original new work offers an
immersive glimpse into the artistic process as director Jody Lee Lipes goes
behind the scenes with Justin and the company. The film is precisely stylised
and composed like a poised ballerina, calm and measured, as the director
unobtrusively watches the dance take shape. Ballet
422 observes the minute details that shape such a large-scale work from
scratch as Justin tastes different moves and patterns to the music, teaches the
numbers to his peers, and collaborates on costumes and lighting designs with
the crew. Almost every element of the ballet encounters a clash of egos as
creative types hem and haw with their own interpretations of Justin’s work. Art
is a collaborative affair though, and Ballet
422 watches as the company develops a rhythm. Individual ideas reconcile
with collective vision, and the film builds to the fully realized performance
that comes in with changes and alterations right until the curtain call.

Rating: ★★★ (out of ★★★★★)

Ballet 422 is now on home video.

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon

(USA, 98 min.)

Dir. Douglas Tirola, Writ. Mark Monroe, Douglas Tirola

Print might be dying, but a pillar of American comedy gets
the last laugh in the doc Drunk Stoned
Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon. The National Lampoon brand seems to have changed in the days since it
began as a satirical magazine, for recent efforts from the Lampoon world scrape the gutter for entertainment. The talking
heads of this doc share stories about the early days when the Lampoon graduated from the Harvard Lampoon to the National Lampoon and the magazine was a
satirical rag that also featured plenty o’ boobs to push the envelope and tease
mags that teen boys had “just for the articles.” The stories, although largely
anecdotal, reveal how launching a magazine is a bold and daunting task, and Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead makes a fair
case that it’s doubly cheeky to create an empire that goes against the currents
of conservatism and “good taste.” Similarly, the comics give some substance to
their legacy by illuminating how the edginess of the Lampoon, and humour more broadly, is an agent of change. As magazines
are dying, one appreciates the effort. However, the film is largely self-congratulatory
as participants extol their own brilliance while shooting the shit on the follies
of the shenanigans of the Lampoon
family. It’s a funny and enjoyable film, but not nearly as essential a watch as
Christmas Vacation is this holiday
season.

Rating: ★★★ (out of ★★★★★)

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead is playing in limited release and is
available on home video.

Other gems from the screener pile worth considering
including Guy Maddin's The Forbidden Room (reviewed in full here) and Cinemablographer favourites
like Sunshine Superman, which holds
up nicely to repeat viewings!